Black Magic
by akinaxx
Summary: In the ancient land of Clowdom a conspiracy's afoot.  The wrong prince is in line for the throne, and numerous problems plague the land.  In the midst of all this is Li Syaoran, a commoner intent on healing the broken society as he takes on his new role.
1. Chapter 1

Black Magic

_Chapter One: _

_Rats_

A loud crack resounded throughout the hall as the whip once again tore through skin. The two guards in charge of overseeing the prisoner's punishment cackled with glee. The young prince before them was an expert in torture; in fact, he spent a great deal of time studying the history of torture devices and many other methods of making thieves and common rats squeak.

After what seemed like the umpteenth snap of the whip and the prisoner's body hung limply in his shackles, the prince put the weapon to rest at his side. He stood stock still, eyes narrowed, evident displeasure etched into every feature. Never had he dealt with such an obstinate thief. Throughout the entire torture session he hadn't made a peep. Not even the slightest grumble had escaped his lips.

Angrily, the prince strode up to the rat who was breathing heavily, chocolate brown hair dripping with a mixture of sweat and blood. He grabbed the man by the chin and forced the pained amber eyes to meet his own, cold, indigo orbs. He searched the gorgeous, brown depths for signs of weakness, or resignation. Instead he found the same fire from several hours ago, burning just as intensely as before.

The fierce defiance that had led a rebellion in the marketplace earlier that day glared back at him with a malice that conveyed more hatred than the prince had ever seen before. This only made him bubble with rage. How dare a mere commoner question his purposes in the way this common rodent had? He was the prince of Clowdom. A kingdom highly valued by its neighboring countries for its fair and impartial judgment; coupled with their extraordinary magical talent. These things made them powerful allies. Their magical army was vastly coveted for their strength in both physical and supernatural combat and their mages were gifted with immense powers of foresight. How could a mere rat possibly understand how difficult it was to keep a country like that in line?

He tossed the man's head down, infuriated by the lack of submission and turned to the guards, his glasses flashing, "Take him to his cell. Make sure he is taken care of properly." He was about to leave the chamber when he added, "Oh, and be absolutely certain that no one heals his wounds. The sting should give him a good enough lesson."

With that he flourished his cape and strode out of the dungeons and into the dimly lit hallways of the palace. His head was reeling and his eyes refused to stay open. Quickly he shook his head to remove the grogginess from his features before making his way up the marble staircase and to his own chambers.

XXXXX

Earlier that day…

It was a seemingly peaceful morning. The sun was shining brightly above and everyone was moving about their daily business without complaint or violent action. That is… until Li Syaoran decided to stir up some trouble.

He was taking his usual stroll through the marketplace, eyeing the expensive looking wares that the merchants had up for sale. His amber orbs glistened hungrily for the many luxuries that surrounded him, but his empty pockets and stomach posed a problem. As if to remind him of its presence, a loud growl was let loose and it made Syaoran realize just how hungry he really was.

Just then, he happened to pass by a fruit cart. Upon the wooden bench were crates of apples. His mouth watered at the sight of the tantalizing red sheen. Clearly this vendor wouldn't miss one apple out of so many? Before he had made the conscious decision to snatch one, his arm was already working on picking out the best sample.

Before his hand could grasp onto the juicy looking fruit a crash was heard a little ways down the lane, followed by a feminine scream.

Curiosity temporarily overcame Syaoran and within seconds his feet had led him to the scene of all the commotion. A burly vendor, with a scorpion tattoo on his right bicep, held a dagger up as he held a mysterious looking woman in a cloak, by the forearm. She struggled and twisted but to no avail. The man was livid, his husky voice barked out commands to random bystanders, ordering them to fetch the king's guard and hissing curses at the female who was using every tactic imaginable to escape.

After several moments of grappling with her and sustaining some minor injuries, caused by her biting his wrist repeatedly; he threw her to the ground and poised his dagger as if to strike. "Listen wench, no one steals from my cart!" his words cracked as his anger made his speech harder and harder to listen to, "If you try to escape again I'll cut off a foot! Then we'll see how far you'll get!" He cackled hysterically as some of the king's guardsmen began arriving at the scene.

The woman sat up slowly, and cried out, "But, that poor child was so hungry! Listen, if you take me to the palace I can speak to the queen! She'll reimburse you!" As she spoke she looked around furiously, seeming to look for someone to come to her aid and at that moment Syaoran caught a glimpse of gorgeous emerald eyes. They sparkled with a strange intensity that he was unable to place, and as quickly as he spotted them, they were hidden once again beneath the hood of her cloak.

"Oh, don't worry! You're going to the palace alright! To the dungeons that is!" the vendor laughed at his cruel joke and waved his dagger about in his fit. At this time the king's guardsmen began moving in to arrest the lady and as Syaoran looked over the scene he soon found himself tearing the dagger from the burly man's meaty hands and stood in the center of the circle, facing the audience of onlookers.

He feigned interest in the structure of the blade in his hands and ignored the owner's threats for him to return it. "Hm," Syaoran muttered pensively, "This is a rather fine blade you've got here. I shiver at the thought of how much you must've paid to acquire it." He twirled the dagger in his hands a few times before studying the patterns etched into the hilt. Stealing a glance at the guardsmen who had halted their actions upon his appearance, Syaoran continued, "Many men would pay a pretty penny for such a fine weapon. Of course, not every man has the coin to pay for such a high class piece of weaponry." His eyes narrowed to slits as he shot proverbial daggers at the vendor, "Especially not the emaciated children of the streets."

The more he spoke the more Syaoran felt rage begin to boil within him, "So I ask you. Why is it that a man who has enough money to buy such luxuries as this, frets over the loss of one morsel? Why must the orphaned children of Clowdom be victims to hunger? We're supposed to be one of the strongest and most prosperous kingdoms in the land and yet we can hardly afford to feed all of our citizens." Syaoran's voice was gaining volume, and the crowd around the scene was increasing tenfold. All eyes were on him and everyone seemed interested in what he had to say. Slightly embarrassed at how the situation had escalated, he licked his lips and began again, "Our kingdom is home to some of the greatest sorcerers in history, and our monarchy has always treated us fairly. So why is it that our society is still so corrupt and impoverished?" Now finding that people were beginning to nod vigorously with his ideas he stood on the vendors cart so as to better address the crowd, "People of Clowdom, I implore you to remember these words and act on them as you see fit. Remember those less fortunate and allow the compassion in your hearts to guide you."

He smiled at the group as they all grinned and talked excitedly amongst one another. Syaoran intended on saying a bit more but he was dragged brutally down from his position by a very angry merchant. The dagger was swiped from his hands and as the vendor pointed it at him, Syaoran couldn't help but be hypnotized by the scorpion on the man's arm. Every time he flexed his muscles it looked like the scorpion's stinger would lash out at him.

Upon the sudden threat on his life the crowd rioted against the merchant and the guardsmen worked quickly to dispel the fray. Three men were holding down the vendor and tying his hands together with a thick leather strap. Syaoran watched everything proceed and was awakened from his daze when he realized that the guardsmen were arresting him as well. He tried making excuses as he was dragged away, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

XXXXX

Two streets, and an intersection later, a cloaked figure blocked the guardsmen's path. "Out of the way miss." One of the men grunted, obviously exhausted by the day's events. The figure didn't move, and Syaoran realized that this was the woman from before, the one that had started everything. _The one I saved,_ he thought ironically as he studied his cuffed hands.

"I order you to release him." The lady's musical voice captured all of Syaoran's attention and was laced with practiced authority. Her delicate hands came up to pull back the hood of her cloak to reveal a woman with short auburn hair and gem-like eyes. On her forehead there was a small red gem, a decoration only worn by those of the royal family.

"Princess!" the other of the two guards that were escorting him exclaimed. "W-what are you doing outside the palace?" his confusion was obvious and his status made him think better of questioning her any further than he already had.

The princess gave him a hard look before responding, "What I do, and why I do so, is none of your concern. Unhand this man. He helped me and doesn't deserve to be repaid by time in the dungeons."

Nervously the two guards exchanged glances before the braver of the two spoke up, "Um, I would grant your wish milady, but I cannot disobey the rules under the Code of Conduct. Before anyone, I must first relay information to the Queen. If she deems him worthy, he will be released and given whatever reward in compensation. Until then milady it's out of my hands."

In a very unprincess-like fashion the woman huffed and stalked off in the direction of the palace. After a few sighs and shaking of heads the guardsmen herded Syaoran down the same path. He was hesitant to follow, but then again he had little choice. What awaited him at the palace seemed, in either respect, to be time in the dungeons.

He kicked himself mentally as he walked dismally behind his captors. _What did I get myself into?_ He wondered.

XXXXX

The throne room was a magnificent display of the history of art. Paintings, busts, and the architecture itself spanned from the early era of Clowdom up to the present day. Pillars lined the mosaic aisle that led to the dais, which held the eloquent, red velvet throne of the queen. Presently she stared off in space, her hand habitually combing through her long, dark locks. Her thoughts were lost in some unknown time, when the kingdom had been in better straights and her husband had still been alive to rule alongside her. Unconsciously, her lips curled into a soft smile, her life back then had been so simple, so… carefree. She was snapped from this reverie when the tall, marble, double doors were thrust open and a figure clad in a soft pink gown, and a black cloak stomped into the throne room.

Holding back a giggle the queen righted herself as she addressed the obviously peeved princess, "What's the matter Princess Sakura? What has happened so early in the day that you must come barreling into the chamber in such a manner?" The corners of her eyes turned up slightly as she added, "I doubt that it's a lover's spat. Prince Eriol seems to find such things silly and time consuming."

Sakura tried to hold back the faint blush that tinted her cheeks as she cleared her throat, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid my business with you today is on a bit darker note." She glanced up at the queen pointedly, politely asking for her to take this matter seriously. When she saw the queen's perplexed expression she continued, "Today, I snuck out to the marketplace." Upon seeing the surprise on her majesty's face she hurriedly added, "I know I'm not supposed to leave the palace unattended and without permission, but how can royalty really understand the life of a subject when surrounded by guards all the time? I had to sneak out without anyone knowing." Her answer seemed to satisfy the queen well enough and so she took a deep breath and tried her best to get to the point of her tale, "So, today while I was walking through the streets, I happened to see a starved child eyeing up a fruit stand. He seemed terribly hungry, and without thinking I found myself taking an apple off the cart. The little boy was thrilled with his gift, but soon after, the vendor of the cart attacked me. Apparently I was supposed to pay for the apple and I hadn't brought any money with me from the palace. I tried explaining who I was but he wouldn't listen."

At this point in the story the queen had her hands covering mouth, her eyes expressing true terror for what the princess had experienced. Sakura nodded in agreement with her sentiments and continued on with her story, "He brought out a dagger and the way he treated me, I was certain that he intended to lob off my hand. It was frightening. For once I was powerless, and no one around me offered to help. They all just stared; watching like it was some exhibition! Then, when all seemed hopeless and I was resigned to letting the guardsmen take me away, _he _appeared." Sakura's visage became dreamy as she recalled the man that had saved her.

"He was devilishly clever and brutally handsome; he handled both the vendor and the people with an air of nobility that not even Prince Eriol has achieved. Everything about the incident he twisted to fit the needs of the people. He expressed the poverty and the hardships of everyday life that some of our people are forced to face, and compared it to the higher classes of society that have so much and part with little." She shook her head; coming back to her senses. "He saved my life and he's done nothing wrong. So, your Majesty, Queen Yelan of Clowdom, please release him." Sakura curtsied low and kept her head down until she felt a gentle weight on the top of her head.

When Sakura looked up she was eye-to-eye with the queen. Her soft smile and kind eyes told Sakura that she would do her best in getting the man out of the dungeons as soon as possible. Sakura grinned, "Thank you, Queen Yelan."

The queen chuckled in response to Sakura's eagerness. "Do you happen to know the name of this young man?" she asked curiously. The fact that the princess was so taken with this commoner made her wonder what type of man he was.

Sakura's eyes lit up, "Actually, I was curious as to his name as well, and after talking with a few of the townspeople I found out that his name is Li Syaoran."

Upon hearing this Queen Yelan's eyes widened, "D… Did you just say Xia- Syaoran?"

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**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I worked really hard on forming the idea and plot behind this story and I'm excited to be releasing it. By the way, did you happen to notice the similarity between the Syaoran and Sakura scene and a certain Disney movie?

Please give me any thoughts, criticism, or ask any questions you may have. I'm all ears!

Thank you very much for reading this and see you next time!

Please R&R!

Ja ne!

~Akinaxx


	2. Chapter 2: Royalty

Black Magic

_Chapter Two:_

_Royalty_

Sakura stared in wonder at the queen as she tapped the arm of her throne impatiently. Last night Li Syaoran had been tossed in the dungeons and was forced to undergo the punishment of a traitor; one delivered personally by the Crown Prince himself. The queen's order of release hadn't reached him in time and he'd ended up going through with the torture session. Angry, but unable to change what had happened Queen Yelan had taken to muttering to herself as she paced the throne room, running her fingers through her hair and drumming her fingers, anxious over something.

After hearing about Li Syaoran's predicament the queen had become antsy to the point of intolerance. Sakura was clueless as to what was agitating the queen; she'd begun to take note of the various scratches made in the floor from the multiple times Queen Yelan had paced over them with her heels.

Sakura cleared her throat, "Your Majesty, I prithee stop making ruts in the throne room."

Queen Yelan gave the tiles a cursory glance before returning her penetrating stare to the double doors at the front of the throne room. They were elegant black marble with various scenes of previous rulers and their consequential kingdoms etched into the stone. As lovely as they were Sakura doubted that the queen's intense scrutiny had anything to do with the pictures.

"Your Majesty, if you don't mind me asking, what has you so worried?" Sakura tried her best to allow a mask of innocence to conceal her impatience and curiosity.

The queen gave her a startled look. "Me? I'm not worried about anything!" she looked Sakura up and down and asked, "Dear Sakura, whatever gave you that idea?"

Sakura, with raised eyebrows, was about to tell her that the trail she was leaving on the marble floor was enough to tell that she was worried, but before she could speak, a loud knock on the door rang through the hallway.

With the ease and grace of a feline the queen was up the dais and on her throne in a heartbeat. All traces of her previous emotions had been erased. She cleared her throat gently and called across the throne room, "Please, come in."

All regality had been restored to her, and with a flourish of her hand the doors opened to reveal two guards escorting a man with mahogany colored hair, and amber eyes into the room. His back was bleeding profusely and from his excessive panting, it was clear that he was in extreme pain. Even the average burden of standing seemed to take a heavy toll on his body.

Queen Yelan's elegant and long, pale fingers clenched the arms of her throne. The change was almost imperceptible; only Sakura caught the flicker of anxiety that crossed her features.

One of the guards came forward and with a curt nod to Sakura turned to the queen and fell into a deep bow. "Your Majesty," he mumbled reverently as he greeted her, "We have brought forth the prisoner as you have requested." He stayed with his head facing the ground; he had a strange feeling that the queen wasn't happy with something. When he took a peek up at her he saw that she was smiling, but when he looked up at her eyes, he noticed they were cold and malicious. Quickly, he snapped his head back down and cleared his throat once, "Um, well then, we'll leave you to your business." With that he motioned to the other guard to follow him out of the chamber.

Once the guards had exited Queen Yelan's face softened. She looked down at the crumpled heap that was Li Syaoran. Queen Yelan wanted to rush off the throne and to the young man's side, but she knew that was unbecoming of someone of her status. She considered doing it anyway, but before she could even shift her weight to stand up, Sakura was already walking towards him.

Sakura approached the pained mass and softly went to her knees beside him. Now that she was so close to him she could see the sweat beading on his forehead, and the way he ground his teeth whenever he tried to move. She took a peek at his arms and the stretch of his back, which wasn't difficult as his shirt had been ripped to shreds, and saw strips of congealed blood. His gorgeous chocolate hair was damp with sweat and hung in his dazzling amber orbs; eyes that now seemed so lifeless, pained and empty.

Sakura clapped a hand over her mouth and attempted to stop tears from flowing. The sight before her was just too pitiful. It became even more horrifying when she realized Prince Eriol had been the one to inflict these wounds.

For a moment Sakura flared with anger. She wanted nothing more than to talk some sense into Eriol. He believed that anyone who offended the kingdom offended him personally. Therefore he treated each prisoner as an enemy, even if they had once been his best friend.

Sakura was ready to scream until her voice was gone, but another look at the pitiful Li Syaoran kept her in place. With a calm, cool hand she brushed the grimy locks from his face and looked him in the eye. "Don't worry; the pain won't last much longer." She whispered to him. Then with one hand on his forehead and the other on one of his hands she closed her eyes and began to channel her energy. When she did this she thought only about healing Syaoran, to close his wounds, to clear his body of any infections and ultimately to help him get better.

After a few moments of a warm honey colored light pouring over them Sakura leaned back, breathing hard and looked at Syaoran. His external wounds had cleared and there was more life in his eyes like how they were back in the market place.

"Sakura?" Queen Yelan asked gently, knowing how much work it took to heal so many wounds at once. The side effects were rarely life threatening, but there were times when Sakura would get winded or dizzy after healing someone.

Sakura looked up at the Queen trying to remember proper etiquette.

The Queen gave her a soft smile, "Please call for Prince Eriol, and some of the maids. I'll explain why when you return with them."

XXXXX

Sakura, still a little dizzy, nodded and hurried off to find Eriol. She had a few words of her own for him. Even if Syaoran had been labeled a criminal at the time, wasn't his punishment a bit harsh? He'd only caused a ruckus in the marketplace, which, Sakura reminded herself, was her fault to begin with. Feeling guilty, Sakura shook her head, and clapped her cheeks, trying to regain a sense of herself.

Sakura had finally arrived in front of Eriol's quarters. With as much composure as she could muster, she knocked briskly on the overly large mahogany doors. She didn't have to wait long. Almost as if he'd been waiting for her right beside the door, Eriol opened it immediately with perfect regality and composure.

Normally, people would feel intimidated by his aura of authority, but Sakura had grown up with Eriol, she knew that he wasn't as scary as he pretended to be.

Thanks to this thought, Sakura had a sudden flash of their childhood. Sakura, he older brother Toya, Eriol, and another young boy were playing out by the palace's pond. In those days Sakura's father, Fujitaka had been an invaluable advisor to Queen Yelan. He and his children were treated like they were part of the royal family out of respect for his help in deciding on how to rule the kingdom. Since their entrance to the palace Toya had become the idol of the four princesses, and Sakura had made good friends with the young prince.

Strange, Sakura could get a clear picture of Eriol when he was younger, but when she tried to remember him as the young prince, the image blurred in her mind.

Upon hearing an impatient, "Ahem," Sakura returned to the present. She stared at Eriol for a moment trying to remember why she was supposed to speak with him, and why she was so angry. Then, the image of Syaoran bleeding from some severe wounds brought it all back. "Eriol, the queen wants to speak with you about your treatment of a certain prisoner." Sakura told him, while trying to keep her own rage under check.

Eriol nodded, "I'll be down shortly. I have some work that I'm finishing up with. If I'm not down there already, by the time you return, tell her I'll be there soon." With that, he closed the door to his chambers and left down the hall. Sakura desperately tried to think of a way to make him stay so she could tell him off herself, but his self-important attitude made it nearly impossible for her to find a way to recapture his interest.

A little mad at herself, for not telling him how angry she was with what he did, she slumped off to the maids' quarters to gather some of the kindest and most efficient servants.

Several minutes later she was back in the throne room, with several of her own personal maids waiting for Eriol with the queen.

"You're sure he said he'd be here as soon as possible, Sakura?" Queen Yelan asked her, feeling the impatience rising within her.

"Yes, your majesty, he said that he'd be here as soon as he finished with some work." Sakura recited from what she had heard from Eriol.

Just as she finished speaking the marble doors at the other end of the throne room opened to reveal their prince. His dark hair perfectly maintained, and his glasses reflecting the light of the hall, making it impossible to tell what sort of mood he was in. He approached the throne where the queen sat and gave her a deep bow out of respect. "You called for me, your majesty?" he asked as he came up to look her in the eyes.

The queen cleared her throat and replied, "Yes, Eriol. I felt that I must ask what possessed you to injure a prisoner to the degree you had to this young man." She gestured towards Syaoran who they had seated in a small armchair. The glazed look in his eyes had cleared, but he still seemed exhausted.

Eriol looked a little confused and in response explained, "I don't understand your highness. I thought I was supposed to punish prisoners. That it was under my discretion."

Queen Yelan seemed to quell her anger for a moment, confused for a moment herself. Then it came back, full force. "Prince Eriol, though the punishment of prisoners is under your discretion, you went too far with this man." The queen gestured towards the unmoving mass that was Li Shaoran. "His crime doesn't fit his punishment. What caused you to go so far as to put him in a life threatening state?"

Eriol gave the ex-prisoner a cursory glance before responding, "Your majesty, I believe that it is my privilege to keep my thoughts to myself." Upon seeing the offended look on the queen's face, Eriol cut her off before she could open her mouth to tell him off, "Your highness, the kingdom has been in an uproar ever since his royal highness, the king, died."

The queen seemed to settle upon hearing this, a mournful expression passed over her features as she remembered that day.

Eriol continued, "The kingdom will soon need the iron fist of a male ruler. Meaning that eventually you will have to step down and allow me and Princess Sakura to take the throne. At that time, I'll need to have the ability to hand out punishments, honors, and make decisions befitting a king." After this he took a moment to let it sink in and then began again, "When I am king no one will be able to question me or my authority. All I ask is that you treat me as if I already have that power."

Having said his fill Eriol turned on his heel and strode out of the throne room like he was already the king of Clowdom.

When he left the queen let out a huge sigh, "I guess it was a bit much, expecting Eriol to understand, after everything he's been through."

Sakura had no idea what the queen was talking about, but seeing the trail of tears lining up on her eyes, she knew that the queen needed some time alone. She ordered the maids to bring Syaoran to one of the guest bedrooms on the opposite wing from Sakura's. They had prepared this room ahead of time on the queen's request. Then, once everyone was gone, Sakura excused herself and let the queen reminisce alone on her throne.

XXXXX

Queen Yelan was pleased when she was left alone at last. Her mind was filling with all the memories that she had tried to lock up.

Memories of the day her husband died, along with Sakura's father, brought tears to her eyes as she remembered adopting Toya and Sakura as part of the royal family.

She felt her thoughts being pulled even further back in time. Remembering the moment when Eriol entered the palace, as a young boy devoid of emotions and family. He'd gotten considerably better since then, but there were times when Queen Yelan sensed him falling back behind his stoic façade. She generally tried to help him, but recent events, with the uprisings and riots, seemed to have Eriol on edge.

Before she could think further back she remembered the day twenty years ago when she'd born her first and only son. The image of the baby in her arms made her smile sadly. That baby had been torn from her at such a young age for reasons beyond her understanding. She had thought that she lost him the same day she lost her husband, but suddenly he'd appeared before her again. Her son, Li Shaoran, had returned. The rightful heir to the crown had made an unexpected appearance.

**A/N: Hey-ho! So… I haven't been writing as much as I've wanted to. I still plan to write this, but I just thought I should warn everyone that my posts are going to be very wide spread. Thank you to everyone that is continuing to keep up with my stories and patiently waiting for each chapter! You are all amazing! **

**Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review! I'd love to hear your thoughts, qualms, and questions. =)**

**Ja ne, minna-san!**

**~akinaxx**


	3. Chapter 3: Rivalry

Black Magic

_Chapter Thr_ee:

_Rivalry_

Syaoran awoke the next morning in a room with more luxuries than he'd seen in a lifetime. The bed, that he didn't remember getting into, was as soft as a cloud and the sheets were pure silk. The bed posts must've been made out of precious metals, because it gleamed unlike any he had ever seen.

Syaoran, dazed and confused, took in his surroundings. There were regal paintings, antique draperies, and gas lamps hung throughout the room along the massive walls. Syaoran warily stepped out of the comfort of the fluffy bed and immediately regretted it. His head felt like it was about to split, his back was burning, and both his legs and his arms were sore. He considered falling back into the warm, inviting bed, but decided against it. As he had no clue where he was and was fairly certain that this place had to be called, "Heaven."

Everything was so expensive looking, and well taken care of, plus with the beating he was given he hadn't expected to live. Yet, somehow he was here, in the most beautiful room he'd ever seen. As Syaoran tried to slowly remove himself from the idea of the comfortable bed there was a knock at the door that he had failed to notice in his previous sweep of the room. There were twin mahogany double doors that must have been two stories tall.

A calm voice came from the other side of the door, "Syaoran-sama, are you awake?" Then, without waiting for a reply a girl with long raven hair and violet eyes waltzed into the room. She arrived with the air of someone on a mission, completely confident in her abilities.

"Wh-" Syaoran tried to ask before his words were drowned out by the stunning maid.

"Oh, how wonderful! You're up and it seems your mind has cleared. Last time, we tried talking to you, because it looked like you were up, but you had this glazed look in your eyes and no matter how hard we tried, you didn't respond to us. Sakura-hime was quite upset." The violet eyed maid babbled on and on, but Syaoran was stuck on one part of what she'd said.

_Sakura-hime was quite upset,_ these words echoed inside Syaoran's head. Somehow it seemed to renew his energy and with a growl from his stomach, reminded him that he had an appetite.

Luckily it seemed like that was part of the reason this maid had been sent to see him because she pulled a bowl of soup out of thin air and presented it to him still jabbering on about his condition and what the palace maids thought of the whole affair.

Syaoran was able to block her out well enough as he began shoveling down giant spoonfuls of soup. In the middle of her excited speech Syaoran picked up that her name was Tomoyo and that she was Sakura-hime's personal maid. She talked on and on about how cute the princess was and how most of the princess's clothing was made by her by hand.

As impressed as he was he found that he couldn't focus on what she was saying. He continued to clean the bowl of everything edible and as he did so an image of the princess' face floated through his mind. As he thought about the kind princess that had sent her own maid to care for him he found himself turning to still jabbering girl and asked, point blank, "Tomoyo, can you get me an audience with Sakura-hime?"

His eyes danced and Tomoyo could tell that this was the man the princess had been talking about. The charismatic youth that was able to win over the public with a firm understanding of the uncertain lifestyle they lived. A knowing smile threatened to spread across her features, but she smothered it just in time to gather up what remained of his meal and turned her back to Syaoran as she told him, "I'll see what I can do."

XXXXX

Before long, Syaoran found himself wandering the palace halls. Corridors and hallways branched out in every direction and more than once he found himself wondering how people didn't get lost in the massive labyrinth. Although he thought that, there was something familiar about the place that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Tomoyo was an excellent guide, she knew her way around and she even seemed to know a few shortcuts because he saw her hesitate in front of certain doors, and even a tapestry at one point. However each time she seemed to rethink the idea and continued on without a second thought.

By the time they arrived at the throne room Syaoran was winded and about ready to fall to his knees. He hadn't realized how weak he still was, and Tomoyo practically carried him through the large double doors. Inside the queen was absent, but Sakura was present along with a few guardsmen and a tall, brooding figure that kept a firm hand on the princess' shoulder. The man had dark hair with a blue sheen and large glasses that hid his eyes and consequently prevented Syaoran from reading his expression. As unsettling as the guardsmen were with their swords at the ready, it was this man that frightened him most.

With Tomoyo's help Syaoran limped forward and sat in a chair that had been set directly in front of the princess, as if they were having a chat in a cozy parlor rather than in the voluminous throne room with its high ceilings and cold marble décor. For a long moment no one said anything and Syaoran was beginning to wonder if he should speak first when an icy voice cut through the silence.

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Princess." The man behind Sakura-hime stated, something in his voice told Syaoran that he had said the same line several times before.

"I'm well aware of what you think Prince Eriol, but I want to hear him out." She countered without even looking back at the prince.

In response Syaoran saw a trace of a sneer cross the prince's features and felt a chill go down his spine. Trembling slightly, but hoping that they would attribute it to his weakened state Syaoran sat forward and addressed the princess as if they were the only people in the room, "I wanted to thank you for standing up for me." He looked into her gem-like eyes and watched as the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled. The red jewel hanging in front of her forehead, symbolizing her status as the princess caught the light as she tilted her head to the side.

"It's good that you managed to heal so quickly. I feel that I must apologize for the pain and suffering you've been through on my account." She explained hastily, seemingly afraid of angering him.

Confused and slightly flattered by how much Sakura-hime seemed to care, Syaoran lapsed into silence.

Sakura fiddled with a hem in her dress as she stared intently at Li Syaoran. She'd been meaning to tell him something ever since they first met, but she was a little embarrassed to say it. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and then blurted out, "I've been meaning to thank you. That day, when you saved me from that man in the marketplace… I've never been able to properly thank you for what you did. So… thank you very much Li Syaoran for protecting me." With the last bit the princess declined her head slightly, a short bow to couple with her gratitude.

Syaoran found embarrassment coloring his ears a brilliant red. Trying to shake off the awkward feeling he looked into the princess' gem-like eyes and tried to speak, to explain that it was no problem and that he would do it all again if it was for her. Just as he was about to spit everything out he felt a strange intensity in the air and as he looked around Syaoran locked eyes with Prince Eriol who was glaring him down. Syaoran narrowed his eyes, he remembered their meeting in the dungeons and wasn't ready to forgive him for it.

Eriol tightened his hold on Sakura's shoulder; the princess winced and softly asked, "Eriol, that hurts. What's wrong?" Eriol tilted his head down to look Sakura in the eyes and gave her a genial smile. Syaoran watched this, getting the feeling that Eriol was making an exhibit of the close relationship he had with the princess.

"I was just worried that we'd be late for our other appointments." Eriol explained, "We wouldn't want to keep _important _people waiting." When Eriol said _important_ he glanced at Syaoran as if reminding him of his status.

Syaoran didn't know what to do, so he stood gave the prince and princess a deep bow, "I'm sorry to have kept you, I know you're both busy and special people. This country relies on you for its every need." With that he stood, barely giving the princess another look before walking out of the throne room.

XXXXX

Syaoran mentally kicked himself as he walked furiously past servants going about their daily duties. Why had he left in such a rush? He hadn't even waited for Tomoyo to guide him back to his room and now he was lost. Several times he thought of asking someone for help, but there seemed to be an event going on because every servant that passed him was in a rush or carrying some expensive looking ware.

Resigned to searching for a way back to his room on his own, Syaoran picked a random direction and began walking. As he walked he thought about the princess, her beautiful auburn hair, and jade eyes. Even her smile was dazzling to him. The glare he'd received earlier from Prince Eriol permeated his memories. Syaoran shivered internally. How had he managed to gain such a terrifying enemy?

Just as Syaoran thought this he turned a corner and found himself in a large courtyard that seemed to span out forever in every direction. Not knowing how he got there Syaoran walked further out onto the plush green grass. Something about this place seemed familiar. It was almost as if a memory from a photograph had come alive before him.

The sound of running water led Syaoran to a small waterfall that made a small river cut across the stretch of greenery. Rocks lined the water way and a small stone bridge, almost like a viewing platform was positioned right in line with the cascading water. An anonymous force pulled Syaoran towards the bridge. Facing the waterfall from the bridge Syaoran's eyes widened. The water was glittering under the midday sun and the little puffs of mist created a breathless view. While Syaoran took in the sight he got a flash of a young boy with dark hair and glasses standing with him on the bridge. The boy smiled at Syaoran and with a sudden shove of the boy's hands, Syaoran felt himself falling backwards.

XXXXX

Syaoran woke up next sometime later, the room he was in must've been the one he'd woken up in before, but it was hard to confirm this due to the low lamp light. He reasoned it was probably nighttime since the large window, even though covered with curtains, didn't allow any light in. The sole form of light in the room was from a small gas lamp, and sitting next to the light sewing some overly frilly bundle of cloth was Tomoyo.

Her fingers worked deftly with the needle and the two pieces of fabric that she was stitching together. It was hard for Syaoran to make out exactly what all the frills would make when she was done, but just as he was about to sit up Tomoyo glanced up and noticed he was awake. "How are you feeling?" she asked, setting down the work she'd been so intent on only moments before.

Syaoran thought about that a moment. He didn't feel too bad, but why was she asking? Then the memory of falling backward, off the stone bridge in the courtyard came back to him and Syaoran was overwhelmed with embarrassment. "Don't tell me you found me drowning, unconscious in the six inch deep river." He grumbled, head in his hand. Unable to take lying down anymore, he propped himself up and was glad he hadn't tried to sit or stand. The small motion sent his head swimming.

Tomoyo giggled softly, "No, luckily you weren't in danger of drowning, however, we did find you unconscious in the river. Not many people go to that courtyard these days. It's supposed to be blocked off." There was an unasked question hidden in that statement and Syaoran was quick to catch on to it.

"I'm not so sure what the palace's idea of "blocked off" is. I managed to wander in there on my own, without even realizing it." He explained, fervently evading the fact that he had been hopelessly lost at the time and was trying to get back to his room, not explore the vast expanse of the palace.

Tomoyo smiled softly at him and explained, "The queen likes to visit the courtyard every so often when she's feeling nostalgic. That spot was favored by her late husband, the king."

Syaoran wasn't sure what that meant, but realized that maybe the entrance to the courtyard wasn't blocked for that reason when he wandered in.

Tomoyo watched Syaoran as he puzzled all this out. Her constant gaze making him uneasy he turned to her and asked, "Wh-What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

In response Tomoyo just shook her head slowly and asked, "Are you hungry? I'll bring you up something to eat." With that she packed up her sewing, and gracefully left the room. Syaoran got up out of bed, and held onto the banister, while he let the dizziness fade. He crossed over to the only mirror he could find, a full floor length mirror as wide as he was tall. He looked himself up and down, only to find that he looked normal. There weren't any drool stains on his face, or an especially bad case of bed head, so what had Tomoyo been staring at him for? After confirming that there was nothing laughable about his appearance he sat down in a desk chair and leaned back.

As he stared back at the ceiling thoughts of the vision he'd seen and Sakura-hime came to him. "How did someone like her become engaged to a man like the prince?" he asked the empty room. Of course, no one answered, him but there was a knock on the door following his question. The unexpected sound made him jump, but he rushed to the door, afraid that Tomoyo had come back already, but with her hands full and unable to do more than knock.

Syaoran swung open the door expecting to see Tomoyo with a tray of food but was pleasantly surprised to find the emerald eyes of the princess staring back at him. His face and mind went blank.

"Good evening! I'm sorry to disturb you. I know you've had a rough couple of days, but I was hoping to apologize to you for Eriol's rude behavior earlier." The whole time Sakura-hime spoke Syaoran was entranced, the way her eyes focused on his when she talked, and how the jewel dangling in front of her forehead swung as she moved.

Staring at her Syaoran could forget just about everything, "Rude behavior?"

"Yes, I feel that Eriol was being unfairly cold towards you today and I was hoping that you would find it somewhere in your heart to forgive him." Except that, the princess was here on official business. It wasn't that she had an undying wish to see him, but she had to make sure that her fiancée hadn't given off the wrong impression.

"Don't worry princess, it's not something you need to concern yourself with." Syaoran meant to stop there, but for some reason he continued with, "He probably felt a little jealous since his fiancée was paying attention to another man. A man that he now sees as an enemy since he tortured him under orders and was then scolded for doing so."

His words turned the princesses face a flattering shade of pink. Even though the talk of Eriol had left Syaoran a little angry, he couldn't help thinking that the princess looked cute when she blushed.

Sakura played with her hands a moment before muttering, "I-I didn't really intend to…" Biting her lip Sakura fidgeted like she was searching for the right word.

Syaoran felt slightly flattered that the princess felt the need to explain herself to him. It was clear that she didn't want him to misunderstand her reasons for checking up on him. Hating to see her so at a loss for words Syaoran grabbed hold of her hands, as they had begun flapping around as she became steadily more flustered, "Sakura-hime, I beg you, don't worry about it. I know that you are a very kind-hearted individual."

It seemed as if Sakura had been bewitched. As soon as Syaoran began talking she'd managed to calm down, her deep jade eyes transfixed on his chocolate orbs. Syaoran gulped, a little unnerved by the tension that had suddenly flowed between them. He tore his eyes away from hers and glanced down at his hands that were still closed around her wrists. He looked back up at her face and as he drew closer said, "You healed me after I had that… incident." He gave her a wry smile, unwillingly to bring up the name of her fiancée at the moment.

With a small smile from Sakura, Syaoran drew himself so that he was pressed up against her. "Even before that you tried to help that hungry kid back in town." By now Syaoran's voice was no more than a whisper and he found that he'd lowered himself so that his and Sakura's faces were two inches apart. Not sure what would happen next he continued to take in the princesses appearance; a beautiful woman with short auburn hair, jade for eyes, soft features, and a gorgeous body hidden beneath a fitted pink gown with a slightly full skirt.

Syaoran was being pulled in. Closer, closer, closer, they were a hairs breadth away from something that would be irreversible when a load, angry voice echoed throughout the hall and caused them to fall away from each other, "What, do you think you're doing?" Syaoran turned towards the source of the voice and found the prince, Eriol standing a few feet away. Tomoyo came racing out of the hallway that Eriol must've just used as well.

Syaoran fell back against the door to his room looking everywhere but at the assembled people, especially the princess. Sakura was now standing in the middle of the hall with a perplexed look on her face as if someone had just woke her up.

Eriol walked gracefully, but clearly agitated over to Sakura. He intertwined his arm with hers and glared pointedly at Syaoran.

Tomoyo hustled over and stood next to Syaoran. "Are you okay?" she asked, searching her pockets for something to offer him.

Syaoran put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm fine." He returned Eriol's glare.

For a long moment they continued their heated staring contest. Finally it was Eriol that broke the eye contact, "Let's go Sakura-hime. It's getting late, allow me to walk you back to your room."

Sakura nodded but couldn't seem to keep her eyes off of Syaoran. As they turned a corner she finally seemed to focus ahead of her. The parting glare from Eriol could've killed Syaoran if the prince had packed any magical power behind it.

"Come on Syaoran, I brought your dinner." Tomoyo chirped as she whipped a tray laden with food out of nowhere and waltzed past him into the room. Syaoran gave one last parting glance to the corner that the princess had disappeared around before following Tomoyo and closing his door.

**A/N: So, finally got the third chapter out. SO EXCITED! I've been wanting to get this out forever and now here it is! *Squee!* So, if you have any questions or comments, PLEASE REVIEW! I love reviews! :D I really hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Hope to hear from you all! **

**Ja ne!**

**-akinaxx**


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets

Black Magic

_Chapter Four:_

_Secrets_

Before he knew it, Syaoran had been a guest at the palace for over a month. In that time he'd healed considerably, made good friends with a majority of the palace maids, and had gotten a feel for the general layout of the castle. He'd bumped into the royal couple more often than he liked.

These days, Eriol never left Sakura's side and it made it nearly impossible for Syaoran to even greet her. The moment he opened his mouth to speak she was whisked away in a flurry of finely tailored garments. Supposedly the official announcement of their engagement was to be made soon and it seemed like their outfits became gradually more refined as the day of the announcement drew closer.

Even the palace maids became unbearably busy. Syaoran who had taken to roaming the corridors regularly found himself in a state of shock when suddenly every hallway had become clogged with servants attempting to go in every direction.

Eventually it got to the point where it was safer to wait in his room and ring for Tomoyo when he wanted company. But, Tomoyo was busy too and couldn't come as often, she was the princess' personal maid after all. Syaoran couldn't believe he'd forgotten. Tomoyo had become someone he expected to have around all the time, but lately with her having to tend to Sakura-hime he saw her less. He had to admit, he was lonely.

One day while he was dodging servants that were running around the halls, as was becoming normal these days, Syaoran found himself in the royal wing where the queen was housed. Although Eriol and Sakura were members of the royal family they had rooms in a different wing as a form of respect towards Queen Yelan. Normally her husband and blood relatives would live in this wing with her, but as her husband was dead, and her daughters had all been married off to wealthy dukes and princes, it was empty. Only the great queen lived in these quarters, sequestered away from the prying eyes of those she ruled.

As he thought about it, Syaoran realized just how much royalty is in the limelight all the time. Even their private chambers were never truly private. Maids and other servants were constantly in and out checking up on her and abiding by her every unspoken command. She could order them all away, but that would bring a bad image to herself.

If anyone was good at masking their emotions it had to be those in power. The people they were with often seemed to determine the type of emotion they were willing to reveal. Syaoran had noticed that when the queen was alone with the princess, and only trusted servants around there was a friendly atmosphere between the two, almost like they were really mother and daughter. When she was with Eriol however she seemed strangely sad as if she were trying to save him from something with words unsaid. In the face of her people no matter if it's a servant or your average commoner she treated each and every one with fairness, and kindness. Then, there was the way she treated Syaoran. The way she looked at him sometimes, or the barest of smiles that'd grace her lips when she saw him unexpectedly, gave off a motherly vibe. At times she made him feel like an adopted member of the royal family.

Of course that was foolhardy. Prince Eriol made it perfectly clear that he wanted Syaoran out of the palace as fast as he could kill a man. After their private session together Syaoran figured Eriol could kill just about as fast as he could blink. Prince Moody had made it plain that he didn't accept Syaoran's presence within the palace and wished him gone.

Syaoran's stomach did a little flip when he realized that Eriol would soon have the authority to kick him out of the palace entirely. His only hope to stay in the palace was the influence Queen Yelan and Princess Sakura wielded for his sake.

_Sakura…_ Syaoran stopped pacing as her name echoed in his head. After a moment he shook his head in an attempt to clear it and looked around. While he'd been thinking, he'd walked all the way down to the Reception Room. The Reception Room was just beyond the grand staircase and was a vast room where the Queen greeted foreign dignitaries and other important guests. The tile floor was decorated with spark rock, a magical rock that held certain amplification properties that a lot of magicians used in their spell work. Syaoran imagined that the spark rock embedded in the floor, walls, and ceiling probably held some form of a protection charm. Since this was a room where highly important individuals came to meet and discuss, it would need to be heavily guarded against terrorism and magical attack. It also made sense for a highly magical family to have spark rock around to amplify their powers in case of emergency.

Syaoran scrunched his forehead. Something was strange though. As far back as he could remember the castle had never been attacked. No wars were ever fought in the magical kingdom of Clow. They were always used as powerful allies that provided supernatural support to whichever side was right. In the past if neither side was correct and the kingdom of Clow saw the war as pointless and then they immediately withdrew from the situation and shortly after the war would end.

According to history, Clow was a kingdom to be feared and respected, to imagine that someone would have the gall to attack the palace, the home of the greatest powers in the kingdom, was ludicrous. However, the fact that magical protection was in place was a sure sign that the royal family felt that an attack was possible. Just as he approached the throne a voice called out to him, "Syaoran, what are you doing in here?"

He spun around to find Tomoyo carrying what looked like a very heavy load of fabric easily in one hand. She had her head cocked to the side, looking at him quizzically. Syaoran relaxed as soon as he saw her and sighed, "I was looking for you."

Tomoyo laughed lightly, "I'm sure. What are you doing in here? I know it's crazy out there, but I don't think the Reception Room is the best place to hide."

Syaoran scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I get bored in my room. There's not much to do there by myself."

Tomoyo giggled suddenly at his remark and Syaoran tilted his head in confusion. Tomoyo readily dismissed him, "It's nothing, but I understand how you could get bored. I'll bring you something to pass the time shortly. I just need to finish delivering this to the maids that are working on some of the royal couple's special appearance attire."

Syaoran caught a light hint of blush on Tomoyo's cheeks after her surprising burst of laughter, but decided it best not to press her. "That'd be nice. Thank you Tomoyo."

"Oh, for what?" Tomoyo waved off his thanks. "Sakura-hime's been bored out of her mind as well. For as busy as the rest of the palace is, she seems to find time to be perfectly bored with speech practice, etiquette review, and a thousand other classes that Eriol-ouji asked the Queen to teach her."

An indescribable emotion filled Syaoran as he asked, "Why did he ask for that? Isn't that too much?"

Tomoyo sighed and grabbed Syaoran's arm with her free hand. She led him back out in to the havoc of the corridors. "Listen Syaoran. I know what you mean, but Sakura-hime has learned a lot since she entered the palace and she's a quick study. She can learn things faster than the average person." Tomoyo reassured him while dodging the occasional armful of laundry, or stack of trays.

"But, surely that's too much. And why would Eriol ask for Sakura to be the one to receive tutorage? Shouldn't it be Eriol that receives all of these extra classes?" Syaoran asked, but Tomoyo refused to answer.

She continued to tug Syaoran along until they reached the residential quarters, where fewer servants were allowed and pulled him off to the side in the shelter of two imposing suits of armor. Even though the corridor was practically empty in comparison to the main hallways, Tomoyo looked around to see if anyone was near enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. Seemingly satisfied Tomoyo continued in hushed tones, "Eriol received plenty of tutorage after he entered the palace, Sakura-hime on the other hand had been left alone. Originally she was only meant as a guest in the palace so no one bothered tutoring her."

"Guest? I thought she was born in the palace." Syaoran whispered baffled by what Tomoyo was saying.

Realizing that she may have said too much Tomoyo bit her lip and took hold of Syaoran's arm again, "At any rate, it is not for us to question the choices of the Queen or the Princess. We are servants and guests of a magnificent household. It is wise not to ask too many questions."

XXXXX

Sakura let out a loud sigh. She'd been holding it in all day. Tutor after tutor had come to her chambers, arms laden with all forms of reading material in subjects ranging from the arts to mathematics, to political science and its effect on current situations, all seemed useless except the latter. This was too much for one person to take on, but Eriol had insisted that she'd be able to handle the workload. Although she was starting to doubt the possibility, she tried putting a little faith in Eriol's words and tackled some remaining finance work one of her tutors had assigned her.

Just as she had read over the first problem, a knock came at her door. Fearful that it would be another wave of tutors to teach her about things that she didn't wish to learn, she called meekly, "Come in."

The door opened, and a maid with short, curling dark hair stepped in. She curtsied and fixed the princess with her lovely chestnut eyes. "Excuse me Your Highness; I know you're working on your studies." The maid apologized, her voice laced with a tinge of worry, afraid to interrupt Sakura's study time.

"Rika-chan!" Sakura exclaimed, pushing her assignment away and throwing her hands up in excitement. "You have no idea how excited I am to see you. Eriol keeps me locked up doing work all day!" she whined, knowing Rika would let her get away with it.

A soft smile spread across Rika's face as she walked over to the princess. "You know Eriol is pushing you because he believes in you. Hang in there Sakura-hime." Rika encouraged the pouting princess with a pat on the back.

Sakura glanced up at her friend. Rika's presence was always calming. Unlike Sakura, Rika always acted very mature and had a pure and calm demeanor about her. There were a few times when Sakura wondered if she should switch places with Rika, since Rika would make a marvelous princess. Although, the amount of trouble Sakura could get into as a servant made the idea slightly less appealing.

Feeling defeated, Sakura let out a sigh, "Rika-chan, where has Tomoyo-chan been lately? I haven't seen her around as much." To emphasize her point Sakura looked around her room, besides the four poster canopy bed, the walls of bookshelves, the large bay windows, and her desk the room was almost bare. In the corner, near the windows there was a wardrobe stuffed full with bits of lace and silk fabric peeking out between the double doors. Next to the wardrobe was a mannequin with a half-finished dress hanging off in swirls of emerald and white poplin. It was Tomoyo's station within her room. Sakura had spent many hours standing over by the mannequin suffering through multiple fittings, and measurements while Tomoyo poked and prodded her with pins and measuring tape. Without Tomoyo's constant squeals of delight while she rambled on about the new designs she wanted to make for Sakura, the room felt quiet and lonely.

"Tomoyo-chan has been keeping our guest busy and out of harm's way. With everyone preparing for your engagement announcement the halls have become a bit dangerous to walk through." Rika explained. She took the brush off Sakura's dresser and brushed at the princess's hair while she talked. Several times throughout the day, Sakura had become frustrated for one reason or another and had taken the stress out on her hair. The beautiful curls and pins that Rika had carefully placed in Sakura's hair earlier that day were falling out in tangled bits. Rika took all of the pins out and brushed through Sakura's hair.

Sakura smiled and closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of the brush running gently through her hair before asking, "And how is Syaoran? I've wanted to stop by, but Eriol has me so busy that I've barely had time to breathe."

Rika chuckled at Sakura's enthusiasm and explained, "Well, that's a question you'll have to ask Tomoyo. I'm afraid I haven't really seen Syaoran for more than a few minutes, and in most cases Tomoyo has him by the arm. You know how demanding she can be. Although, I think he's been bored." Sakura turned her head slightly to peek at Rika around her hair, a quizzical expression spread across her features. "What I mean is, when he first entered the palace you were constantly around and Tomoyo had tons of free time. People were around him all the time, and when they weren't he was able to walk the halls without being run over. Now, because of how busy the palace is with your engagement announcement approaching," Sakura blushed as Rika mentioned the embarrassing ceremony that was coming up in just a few short days. "I think he's been bored cooped up in his room by himself. I know he's tried exploring the palace a few times, but someone usually finds him and sends him back to his room."

Rika set the brush down and pulled Sakura's hair back into a half ponytail with a clip, keeping it out of her face while she finished her homework. Sakura stared at the pile of papers in front of her and groaned inwardly. As she thought about all the homework she had to do she thought about a book that she had been reading a little bit of each night. The thought gave her an idea. "Rika-chan, I think I have a solution for Syaoran's boredom."

"Oh? You've thought of an idea?" Rika asked, surprised as always at how Sakura was always willing to help someone else no matter what her situation was.

Sakura nodded, a grin slowly spreading across her face, "I think you should introduce Syaoran to Naoko-chan."

XXXXX

"Come on, Syaoran, and be careful. There are stacks of fabric, tableware, and cleaning supplies walking the halls and we don't want to trip anyone." Tomoyo warned as they trotted down the vast corridors of the palace.

Tomorrow was the long awaited announcement and if at all possible the palace had gotten even busier. There was to be a formal speech in front of the citizens, and then an after-party consisting of dignitaries from all over the world were invited to attend. The pressure was on the palace staff to make the castle sparkle for the important guests.

As they rounded another corner a pretty maid with curling dark hair and a peaceful aura around her stood waiting. "Syaoran, this is Rika-chan. She'll be escorting you the rest of the way, I would normally guide you all the way there myself, but with the announcement tomorrow I have several things that need to get done. One of which includes Sakura-hime's dress for tomorrow. So, Rika will look after you from here." Tomoyo explained all of this in a rush and then hurried off in the direction of Sakura-hime's quarters.

A little shy, Syaoran turned to Rika and offered a hesitant smile. She returned the greeting, and gestured down the hall, "Shall we?"

Syaoran nodded and followed his new guide. At the end of the hallway were tall double doors that mismatched the rest of the palace interior. Where everything in the palace had a shine and splendor to it, these doors looked like they had been made a long time ago and were made of a dark wood that offset the metal framing.

Rika stopped in front of the doors, "Here we are. If you go through here you'll meet Naoko-chan."

Syaoran glanced from Rika to the doors not completely comprehending her words. He wasn't sure what was beyond the double doors, but with the neglect they showed he wasn't sure he wanted to see what it looked like inside. Before he could ask Rika any of the questions that swirled in the back of his mind, she walked off, leaving him alone in front of the towering wood doors.

With nothing left to do Syaoran grabbed the handle and walked into the room beyond. At first it took a while for his eyes to adjust. He had walked into what felt like a wall of light. There were windows as big as the doors he just walked through directly across from him and they were letting in the bright morning light. Thick dark curtains lined the edges of the windows, obviously drawn away to allow the gigantic space to be lit up.

"Ah. Hello! You must be Syaoran-san. I'm Naoko, the librarian." A voice from his right surprised Syaoran. In a jolt he looked over to find a small girl with short brown hair, and glasses smiling up at him.

"Hello. Librarian, you mean this is…?" Syaoran trailed off as he finally took in the rest of the room. He looked around to see that he was surrounded by walls of bookshelves, separated by the occasional window, and the book shelves stretched from the ground to the ceiling; which was three floors high. On the first floor there were all sorts of comfy looking chairs and cushions for people to leisurely read on. There were also plenty of desks and chairs for people like Sakura-hime that were keeping up with studies or doing research. As he followed the bookshelves up he realized the second and third floors to the library were a maze of bridges and staircases going in every direction.

Syaoran let out a low whistle at the sight. Naoko nodded approvingly, "Yes, we have the most expansive collection on all subjects within the realms and this place is often visited by knowledge seekers. Although lately, with all of the commotion surround the prince and princess's engagement not many have had time to stop by."

Clearly impressed Syaoran asked, "It really is something, but isn't it lonely being isolated here by yourself?"

Naoko seemed to ponder the question for a moment before responding, "Not at all! I love books, and there are enough here to keep me happy forever. Also, Sakura-hime often comes by to play." The smile on Naoko's face left no room for argument. Clearly the library was her pride and joy. "You know, Sakura-hime sent you here because she felt sorry for the both of us. She hasn't come by to visit either of us, and she knows you've been bored all alone in your room. It was her idea to make the library a hideaway for you to escape the chaos and loneliness outside those doors."

Syaoran didn't know what to say. Secretly he was pleased at the thought of Sakura-hime thinking so seriously about not only his well-being, but his entertainment. Smirking at the thought, he asked, "So, would it be okay if I helped myself to the stacks?"

Naoko smiled, "Go ahead. Most of these books are just itching to be read."

With the go ahead from Naoko, Syaoran made his way up a random flight of stairs to the second floor and gave a cursory glance to the titles of the books on the shelves. When he saw something that caught his interest he'd pick it out and sit on the floor to read with his back resting against the shelves.

After a significant amount of time had passed Syaoran stood up to stretch and began filing away the pile of books he'd collected at his feet when he caught a glint out of the corner of his eye. He turned around to look, but saw nothing. Thinking he imagine it he pushed the last book into its spot on the shelf when he saw the glint again, brighter and clearer this time.

Curious he glanced over the rails to see if Naoko was seeing the same thing, but when he looked down over the first floor there was no sign of the librarian. "Naoko-san?" he called, trying to see if her tiny frame had managed to hide amongst the stacks of books.

There was no reply. Syaoran looked towards the light again. It was coming from the third floor. Curiosity getting the better of him Syaoran climbed the stairs up to the third floor slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the steady glow radiating from somewhere above him.

After arriving at the top of the stairs, the light had become strong enough to be seen clearly even in the well lit room. It seemed to be coming from a cluttered corner of the room where it looked like old volumes had been stacked and forgotten to collect cobwebs.

Almost in a daze Syaoran began shifting through the pile until he came across an old leather bound book with gold plating. Golden words shimmered across the cover in a wave of light, they read: _Clowvian Blood Rites_. It was a strange title, and Syaoran had a sudden desire to see what was inside the book. Turning it on its side he slowly pulled the cover away from the gold trimmed pages and saw a haze of golden lettering briefly before the shimmering light of the text increased in brightness and enveloped the library in a golden glow brighter than the sunlight streaming through the windows.

In an instant the light had died down and the letters on the first page of the book were in plain black text; _For only the blood of Clow can inherit the power that controls the Earth itself._ Just that single sentence was scrawled across the first page.

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**A/N: Huh, I wonder what will happen? Hello everyone! It's been a while. I finally got the inspiration and time to sit down and finish this chapter. I know my updates are few and far between, but I hope you continue to read and support Black Magic. I'm really excited about this story and I can't wait for it to unfold as I release more chapters. Please let me know what you think in a review. I love hearing from you all!**

**Ja ne! **

**-Akinaxx**


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